Drew Brees is reportedly mulling retirement, casting doubt on who will be New Orleans’ starter under center in Week 1.
Saints linebacker Demario Davis, however, isn’t losing much sleep over it.
“There’s no doubt in my mind who that’s going to be,” Davis said on The DA Show. “I don’t even worry about that.”
In other words, Davis believes that Brees, 41, will return for his 20th season.
“I’m a person that believes what’s understood don’t have to be explained,” Davis said. “When you talk about a GOAT in this game, a legacy, a person that puts his blood, sweat and tears out there every week, you look at his mentality and what’s allowed him to do the things he’s done, all you got to do is put the pieces together and you’ll know the answer to that question. That’s not for me to go out and say, but there ain’t no doubt in my mind. If there’s any doubt in yours, that’s on you.”
Brees completed 74.3 percent of his passes for 2,979 yards, 27 touchdowns and four interceptions in 11 games this season. It seems he has at least one more elite season left in the tank.
“I’m just going based on personality,” Davis said. “Here’s a guy who is probably one of the greatest competitors I’ve ever seen. Probably one of the most detailed individuals – by far – that I’ve ever been around. Immediately after the season, we lose, and I always work out at least three weeks after we’re done playing. I go into the facility, and he’s in there getting warmed up, working out, doing his routine like he always does. I doubt he was just doing that because he’s going to the Pro Bowl. That was just my analysis of it.”
Brees has completed at least 70 percent of his passes four years in a row and at least 74 percent in each of the last two. Over the last two seasons – 26 games – he has 59 touchdowns to just nine interceptions.
“The efficiency was off the charts this year,” Davis said. “Having a quarterback that can go out there, analyze the field and make plays at that high of a level, you don’t take that for granted.”
Davis, 31, spent the first several years of his career playing for the Jets and Browns.
“I never had the opportunity of playing with great quarterbacks in this game,” he said. “I’ve had the opportunity to play with some good ones and some not-so-good ones. That’s not a slight to them. It’s just really hard to be good at the quarterback position inside this game – and definitely not on the level of Drew Brees. Seeing him make the plays that he’s made and seeing the preparation that he puts in, I don’t take playing beside him for granted one bit. A big part of the reason why I came to New Orleans was the chance to have the opportunity to play with Drew Brees. To see him continue to ascend inside this game, it was another record-breaking year from him. You don’t go from a record-breaking year to down that far that fast. So I’m excited for what the future holds and excited to see how he returns.”